US3574864A

US3574864A - Disposable hospital patient{3 s gown with cohesive

Info

Publication number: US3574864A
Application number: US828407*A
Authority: US
Inventors: Theodore Bradley
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1966-03-16
Filing date: 1969-03-12
Publication date: 1971-04-13
Anticipated expiration: 1988-04-13
Also published as: DE1920615A1; DE1920615B2; US3745587A; US3451062A; GB1261091A; CH538260A

Abstract

Disposable examination gown featuring a single sheet of disposable material, cutout neck area, slits defining arm openings, a cohesive-adhesive of low peel adhesive adherence and high shear adhesive adherence applied to opposed areas of the sheet at the top edge adjacent the neck area and the sides of the sheet as a means for separating and reattaching the top edge of the sheet and the sides of the sheet about the patient''s body.

Description

United States Patent lnventor Theodore Bradley 147 Eldorado SL, Monterey, Calif. 93940 828,407

Mar. 12, 1969 Apr. 13, 1971 Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 534,903, Mar. 16, 1966, now Patent No. 3,451,062.

Appl. No. Filed Patented DISPOSABLE HOSPITAL PATIENTS GOWN WITH COHESIVE 4 Claims, 13 Drawing Figs.

[15. Cl 2/114 Int. Cl A41d 9/00 Field of Search 2/114, 49, 50, 87,96, 105, 106; 117/44, 122; 161/146, 148; 260/739, 740

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Thompson Kegan Tiscomia.. Ptasnik.....

Budden Doyle et a1 Grimm et a1.

Sabee Graham Primary Examiner- Richard J. Scanlan, J r.

2/114 260/74OX 2/50 161/146X 117/44X l61/148X 2/114X 2/114 2/114X ABSTRACT: Disposable examination gown featuring a single sheet of disposable material, cutout neck area, slits defining arm openings, a cohesive-adhesive of low peel adhesive adherence and high shear adhesive adherence applied to opposed areas of the sheet at the top edge adjacent the neck area and the sides of the sheet as a means for separating and reattaching the top edge of the sheet and the sides of the sheet about the patients body.

Patented April 13, 1971 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I INVENTOR f'fl'dfid/PE 5000/5 semmesandsemmes ATTORNEYS Patented April 13, 1971 5 Shoots-Shoat 2 Min,

BY semmesandsemmes I ATTORNEYS Patefited A ril 13, 1971 3 Shoots-Shut. 3

INVENTOR 17/500042; 502010 BY semmesandsemmes ATTORNEYS DISPOSABLE HOSPITAL PATIENTS GOWN WITII COIIESIVE CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS The present application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 534,903, filed Mar. 16, 1966, now Pat. No.

3,451,062 and entitled Disposable Examination Gownz" a one-piece hospital examination gown having slits in its top edge defining arm and neck apertures and cohesive-adhesive adjacent these apertures as a first means for separating and reattaching the top of the gown and cohesiveadhesive adjacent the sides of the gown as a second means of separating and reattaching the sides of the gown.

Disposable Office Gown," US. Pat. No. 3,399,406 issued Sept. 3, 1968: a two-piece disposable gown having overlapping front and rear panels.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. The invention A disposable examination gown made from a single sheet, of disposable material, for example paper, cutout or slitted and fixed with cohesive-adhesive so that it may be separated and attached laterally at either shoulder and separated and attached longitudinally at its back or front This capability enables placing of the garment on an unconscious patient without interference by intravenous fluid tubing or casts; also it enables unsealing for examination of the patient at breast, abdomen, or back and then rescaling again after the examination.

Since the garment is made of a single sheet of disposable material, exceptionally economical manufacture is possible. The sheet is assembled into a gown by the nurse or the patient, thereby eliminating the expensive manufacturing process of assembling the sheetlike unassembled gown into an assembled gown. The gown may be manufactured for less than the cost of laundering a conventional garment such as illustrated in the cited art.

2. Description of the Prior Art Thompson (U.S. Pat. No. 1,489,046 is typical of the prior art wherein at least seven panels of separately cut material are patterned and joined together at numerous seams by means of buttons," hooks and eyes, or preferably snaps-fasteners. A disposable gown that consists of more than one panel would be difficult if not impossible for a nurse or patient to understand and assemble as a disposable gown. Bikle (U.S. Pat. No. 782,819 is similar in the complexity of its cutouts, adjacent neck and shoulder portions, as well as the expensive fastening means 14.

Cater (U.S. Pat. No. 3,276,036) discloses the fastening together of the contiguous edges by a fastener composed of synthetic resin having a plurality of hook-forming pile threads and a complementary fabric pat which when pressed together adhere and remain so connected but can readily by separated." This is a description of a product known and trademarked as Velcro, too expensive to use in a disposable gown and certainly not identical or similar to applicant's recited cohesive adhesive of low peel adherence and high sheer adhesive adherence." The gown designed by Cater opens only at one side. If the gown were opened and placed on the front of an unconscious patient lying on the operating table after an operation, there would be a large flap (one-half the width of the gown) which forms the back of the gown that would hang down on one side until you rolled the patient over on their side and pushed the flap beneath them. However, it is usually unwise to roll the unconscious patient around.

Palm U.S. Pat. No. 2,701,364 describes a three-piece garment consisting of a main portion and two sleeves joined to the main portion by a stitched seam. Each section forming the sleeve is necessarily notched or cutout so as to accommodate the sleeve. There is no suggestion of accessibility through the front of the garment other than as illustrated in FIG. 4 and 5, precluding separate examination of the breasts.

Sabee (U.S. Pat. No. (3,230,546 Grimm (U.S. Pat. No. 3,156,927 and Brainard (U.S. Pat. No. 2,973,523 construct a hospital gown by glueing the sides of the gown together. Sabees gown has permanently formed sleeves and is open at the back and is conventionally held together by ties. Sabee, as well as Grimm and Brainard, are not suitable for use as hospital gowns because the sleeves would not permit the gowns to be removed over intravenous fluid tubing in the patients arm or casts on the patients arms. Sabee, Grimm, Brainard and Jelstrup are closed at theshoulders. Grimms garment consists of two sheets of paper permanently glued together at the shoulders and along the sides and it is open at the back. It is closed at the back by ties after it has been placed on the patients. In its final construction it is basically the same as the gown designed by Sabee and similar to the hospital gowns used by hospitals for many years.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The most important features distinguishing applicants invention from these references reside in applicants combination of recited elements, that is a single sheet of disposable material containing cutout or slit neck area and two slits running downwardly from the top edge defining arm openings, together with the first and second means for separating and reattaching both the side portions of the gown and the top portions, enable placing of the garment on an unconscious patient. During an operation the gown frequently can become stained with blood and must be removed at the end of the operation and a new gown placed on the still unconscious patient. However, intravenous fluids are frequently running into one of the patients amis and if the gown has any sleeves it is difficult to remove the gown without interrupting the intravenous fluids and possibly contaminating the intravenous setup. Similarly, bandages or casts on the patients arm prevent placement or removal of the arm from the sleeve. Applicants gown is applied to the front of the patients trunk and is then wrapped around the patients trunk or around the patient's arms. The free top edges of the arms and shoulders of the gown adhere together and the free side edges of the gown adhere together, enabling securement of the gown longitudinally at the front or rear of the patient. Placing the gown on the patient or removing the gown from the patient is not obstructed by bandages, casts or intravenous fluids.

The prior art requires that the unconscious patient sit up in order to place the gown over the patients head or the gown is required to be stepped in. It is virtually impossible to pull an examination gown over the lower extremities and over the lower trunk while a patient is unconscious. The present gown may be placed on the front of the patients trunk as a drape to cover the unconscious patients chest and abdomen.

The shoulders may be covered by pushing the top part of the flaps that cover the patients back behind the patient where their free edges will adhere at the top to form a sleeve without sitting the patient up. Even if the patient is unconscious it is possible to push the flaps that cover the patients back, behind the patient where their free edges will adhere, without rolling the patient on their side or sitting the patient up, in order to fasten the back of the gown.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a perspective view of the disposable hospital patients gown as worn;

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective;

FIG. 3 is a top plan in disassembled position and prior to placing upon a patient;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of first embodiment of hospital disposable gown illustrating configuration of single sheet aperture;

FIG. 5 is a back view of assembled first embodiment of hospital disposable gown;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of second embodiment of hospital disposable gown illustrating configuration of single sheet;

FIG. 7 is back view of assembled second embodiment of hospital disposable gown;

FIG. 8 is plan view of third embodiment of hospital disposable gown illustrating configuration of single sheet;

FIG. 9 is back view of assembled third embodiment of hospital disposable gown;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary cross section of the gown edges 64 and 62 as secured to each other by cohesiveadhesive;

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary plan of gown side edges 62 and 64 as afiixed with cohesive-adhesive in gridiron pattern;

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary plan of gown side edges 62 and 64 as affixed with cohesive-adhesive in random dot pattern; and

FIG. 13 is an enlarged fragmentary cross section of gown edge 62, showing the partial penetration of the adhesive within the edge, the outer surface of the adhesive being treated with talc particles.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In FIGS. l-3, a disposable hospital patient's gown 50 is illustrated as comprised of a single rectangular sheet of disposable material having side edges 62 and 64, to which cohesiveadhesive 90 has been applied, neck slit 54 and arm slits 60 extending vertically from top edge 84 to which cohesiveadhesive 90 also has been applied. When the gown is worn, side edges 62 and 64 may be applied to each other as a longitudinal securement at the front or at the back of the wearer, as illustrated in FIG. 2. Similarly, top edge 84 outer segments are folded over and secured to the undersegments 86 by means of cohesive-adhesive so as to support the garment upon the shoulders of the wearer, while the wearers head protrudes through neck slit 54 and the arms protrude laterally through arm slits 60.

The hospital disposable gown, as seen in FIGS. 49, is generally designated by reference numeral 50 and consists of a single sheet of paper 52 or other disposable material cut or slit to predetermined pattern to provide neck opening, sleeves and the like, as desired. As seen in the embodiment of FIGS. 4 and 5, single sheet 52 is provided with neck opening 54, surrounded by tapered cutout portions 56 and 58 intersecting at cuts 60. Also segments 56, 58 and

free edges

62 and 64 are provided with the below-described cohesive-adhesive fastening technique. Although the folding and fastening technique is apparent, FIG. 5 illustrates back of assembled gown in which slots 60 now provide openings for arms. Alternatively, as seen in FIG. 6, single sheet 52 may be provided with sections 61, cutout, L-shape slits 63 and fastening technique applied along lines 65. In this manner, the assembled gown is provided with sleeves 66 as seen in the back view of FIG. 7. As illustrated in FIG. 8. diagonal cuts 68 may be made in sheet 52 with fastening technique located along diagonal lines 70, and on the surfaces 71. As seen in the rear view of FIG. 9, a flap is thus provided in this version of disposable gown 50.

Of course,

free edges

56, 58, 62, 64, and surfaces 65, and 70 of sheets 52 of the FIGS. 4-9 embodiments of hospital gown 50 may be secured by several techniques, some of which will now be described. The cohesive-adhesive 90 used in the present disposable hospital patient's gown penetrates part way though the disposable material and does not just sit on the surface of the disposable material; as illustrated in FIG. 10.

If the cohesive-adhesive sits on the surface of the disposable material it will only make the surfaces of the disposable material adhere. When the disposable material is peeled apart the cohesive-adhesive will just pull off the outer surface of the disposable material without holding the two sheets of disposable material together. By penetrating part way into the disposable material this cohesive-adhesive increases the internal strength of the disposable material in that area, so that when the disposable gown is opened, the gown separates at the interface between the two layers of cohesive-adhesive without separating off the outer layer of the disposable gown. may

Most liquid adhesives strike through the disposable materials leaving a layer of adhesive on the inside of the disposable gown that is sticky and unpleasant for the patient to lie on. The liquid cohesive-adhesive used in the present disposable hospital patient's gown only penetrates part way through the disposable material so there is no sticky layer on the inside of the gown for the patient to lie on.

The liquid cohesive-adhesive used on the disposable hospital patients gown described by the claimant has a high shear adhesive adherence and a low peel adhesive adherence. It consists of natural latex in aqueous solution with casein, tackifying resins, cellulose thickeners, defoamers, wetting agents, antioxidants and preservatives. The cohesive-adhesive consists of 60 percent solids.

The accepted meaning of a cohesive-adhesive is an adhesive, that when dry, will only adhere to itself. Latex is a cohesive-adhesive with high shear adhesive adherence. Adding casein solution produces low peel adhesive adherence.

The low peel adhesive-adherence may be lowered even further by either of the following methods:

A. Talc particles 98 are blown through a screen so as to lay a discontinuous application onto the freshly applied cohesiveadhesive to nullify the bonding power of the adhesive sufficient to weaken the bond so that it may be peeled apart, as illustrated in FIG. 13.

B. The liquid cohesive-adhesive is applied to the gown in a pattern, so that when the edges of the gown are pressed together, some of the limbs of the pattern on one side will come in contact with some of the limbs of he pattern on the other side and will adhere. Then when the edges of the gown are peeled apart to open the gown, even if some of the limbs in contact are torn off, other limbs of the pattern will still be available to allow the gown to be closed again. Gridiron patterns 92-94 and dots at random or in patterns 96 are illustrated in FIGS. 11 and I2.

Having the cohesive-adhesive on the edges confronting surfaces at the edges of the gown in a discontinuous pattern will allow the gown to be opened more readily than if the cohesiveadhesive were an unbroken strip. Furthermore, application of the cohesive-adhesive in a discontinuous pattern will allow the moisture to seep out of the liquid cohesive-adhesive into the adjoining material and will allow the cohesive-adhesive to dry more rapidly. In this manner, the free edges of gown 50 may be adhered together after being peeled apart. That is, as seen on the right-hand side of sheet 52 in FIG. 4, from the free edge proximally there is a line of adhesive 62.

Alternatively, cohesive-adhesive, characterized by low peel adherence and high shear adherence, may be coated on one surface of each of the confronting areas 65, 71 so that the low peel adherence will enable free edges 71 and areas 65 of the FIGS. 6-7 gown embodiment, for example, to be easily peeled apart permitting sleeves 66 to be readily opened to remove gown. Also, this cohesive-adhesive will adhere when it is pressed together again, thereby enabling the gown to be replaced on the patient after it is removed for examination.

Immediately after the operation or obstetrical delivery, hospital gown 50 is placed on the front of patient with arms in sleeves of gown. Gown 50 need not be fastened at the patients back until consciousness is regained permitting the patient to be rolled on their side or replaced in sitting position. However, the side edges may be secured beneath the patients back simply by pressing the side edges 62 and 64 together. All this is accomplished with hospital gown 50, without providing conventional large flaps that get in way until fastened around patients back. Obviously, conventional snap assemblies, with resulting discomfort, are avoided in the present gown design. In general, it may be said that such conventional swap arrangements are not acceptable, as usually such arrangements are only found at top of gown permitting lower two-thirds of patients back to be exposed when walking as well as separating and bunching up during sleeping hours.

Obviously, the cuts made in sheet of paper of hospital gown 50 may be varied to provide a choice of models with various shapes of sleeves or flaps to cover shoulders. Similarly, the cuts in upper lateral section or inside of sheet may be varied to provide different shapes or length of flaps to wrap around patient and cover patients back. Optionally, the sleeves of gown may be omitted, and shoulders and upper arms simply protected by widening shoulder straps creating flap which will extend over shoulders and cover upper arm.

The sleeve may be positioned at the top of the arm to close under the arm or the sleeve may be positioned under the arm to close at the top of the arm or the sleeve may be positioned at one side of the-arm to close at the other side of the arm. a

To be disposable an examination gown must not cost more than the cost of laundering a cloth gown plus the cost of the gown divided by the number of times that it can be used. That rules out any gown that consists of more than a single sheet.

There is no other disposable hospital gown that consists of a single sheet of disposable material, without separately attached belts, ties, panels of material or sleeves; no other disposable gown that may be applied to the front of the patient and then be closed at the shoulders to form a sleeve without sitting the patient up; no other disposable gown that opens at the shoulders to allow the gown to be removed without interrupting the intravenous setup; no other disposable gown that is sealed together with an inexpensive cohesive-adhesive after it has been placed on the' patient; no other disposable hospital gown that may be opened for examination of the patient and then be resealed, in a manner that eliminates gaps in the back of the gown that open when the patient bends over and also eliminates gaps in the back of the gown that allow the free edge of the gown to bunch up under the sleeping patient and then cause the gown to be torn apart.

Applicant submits that the foregoing explains why there is no disposable gown that a patient can sleep in, in use in any major hospital at the present time.

Manifestly, changes in shape of office disposable gown 50, as well as alternative technique for attaching shoulder straps and panels of disposable material, may be employed without departing from the spirit and scope of invention. Similarly, revision of length and direction of cuts in hospital gown, as well as alteration of position or size of neck opening and sleeves or changes in the design of the pattern that the cohesive-adhesive is applied may be resorted to without departing from spirit and scope of invention.

lclaim:

l. A disposable hospital patients gown, comprising:

A. a single sheet of disposable material forming said gown having side edges, a bottom edge, and a top edge, said top edge of gown containing:

l. a medial neck opening, and

2. two arm openings formed, each respectively, intermediate said side edges and said neck opening, and each extending downwardly from the top edge of said sheet, part of the way toward the bottom of the sheet, as the outermost side edges of said sheet are folded inwardly to engage each other;

B. First means for separating and reattaching said side edges, said first means consisting of a cohesive-adhesive of low peel adhesive adherence and high shear adhesive adherence applied along the confronting surfaces of said side edges; and penetrating into the disposable material; and

c. second means for separating and reattaching portions of said top edge intermediate said arm openings and said neck opening, and intermediate said arm openings and said side edges, after said side edges are folded inwardly to engage each other, said second means consisting of a cohesive-adhesive of low peel adhesive adherence and high shear adhesive adherence applied along the confronting surfaces of said top portions edge; and penetrating into the disposable material.

2. A disposable hospital patients gown, comprising:

A. a single sheet of disposable material forming said gown and having side edges, a bottom edge, and a top edge, said top edge of gown containing:

1. A medial neck opening, and

2. two arm openings, each respectively, intennediate said side edges and said neck opening, and each extending downwardly from the top edge of said sheet, part of the way toward thebottom of the sheet, as the outermost side edges of said sheet are folded inwardly to engage each other;

B. First means for separating and reattaching said side edges, said first means consisting of a cohesive-adhesive of low peel adhesive adherence and high shear adhesive adherence applied along the confronting surface areas of said side edges, said areas having spaces therein free of said cohesive-adhesive; and

C. second means for separating and reattaching portions of said top edge intermediate said arm openings and said neck opening, and intermediate said arm openings and said side edges, after said side edges are folded inwardly to engage each other, said second means consisting of a cohesive-adhesive of low peel adhesive adherence and high shear adhesive adherence applied along the confronting surface areas of said top edge, portions said areas having spaces therein free of said cohesive-adhesive.

3. A disposable hospital patients gown, comprising: a single sheet of disposable material forming said gown having side edges, a bottom edge, and a top edge, said top edge having a centrally located neck opening, said top edge extending horizontally from each side of said neck opening to a first point intermediate said neck opening and said side edge and extending downwardly therefrom approximately one-half the depth of said neck opening to a second point immediately below said first point to form shoulder flaps and extending horizontally from said second point to said side edges; two arm openings, each respectively, extending downwardly from said second point on said top edge toward the bottom of the sheet; cohesive-adhesive with a high shear adhesive adherence and low peel adhesive adherence that penetrates into the disposable material applied to areas of said top edge between said neck opening and said first point on one surface on said sheet and to the area between the end of each arm opening and said side edge on the other surface of said sheet and along the area of the confronting surfaces of said side edges when said side edges are overlapped, so that when the side edges are folded inwardly forming openable panels and said flaps are folded downwardly upon said panels, openable sleeves are created that cover the shoulders and part of the upper arms of a wearer.

4. A disposable hospital patients gown, comprising: a single sheet of disposable material forming said gown having side edges, a bottom edge, and a top edge, said top' edge having a centrally located neck opening, said top edge extending horizontally from each side of said neck opening to a first point intennediate said neck opening and said side edge and extending downwardly therefrom approximately one-half the depth of said neck opening to a second point immediately below said first point to form shoulder flaps and extending horizontally from said second point to said side edges; two arm openings, each respectively, extending downwardly from said second point on said top edge toward the bottom of the sheet; cohesive-adhesive with a high shear adhesive adherence and a low peel adhesive adherence applied to areas of said top edge between said neck opening and said first point on one surface of said sheet and to the area between the end of each arm opening and said side edge on the other surface of said sheet and along the area of the'confronting surfaces of said side edges when said side edges are overlapped, so that when the side edges are folded inwardly fonning openable panels and said flaps are folded downwardly upon said panels, openable sleeves are created that cover the shoulders and part of the upper arms of a wearer, said areas having spaces therein free of said cohesive-adhesive.

Claims

1. A disposable hospital patient''s gown, comprising: A. a single sheet of disposable material forming said gown having side edges, a bottom edge, and a top edge, said top edge of gown containing: 1. a medial neck opening, and 2. two arm openings formed, each respectively, intermediate said side edges and said neck opening, and each extending downwardly from the top edge of said sheet, part of the way toward the bottom of the sheet, as the outermost side edges of said sheet are folded inwardly to engage each other; B. First means for separating and reattaching said side edges, said first means consisting of a cohesive-adhesive of low peel adhesive adherence and high shear adhesive adherence applied along the confronting surfaces of said side edges; and penetrating into the disposable material; and c. second means for separating and reattaching portions of said top edge intermediate said arm openings and said neck opening, and intermediate said arm openings and said side edges, after said side edges are folded inwardly to engage each other, said second means consisting of a cohesive-adhesive of low peel adhesive adherence and high shear adhesive adherence applied along the confronting surfaces of said top portions edge; and penetrating into the disposable material.

2. two arm openings formed, each respectively, intermediate said side edges and said neck opening, and each extending downwardly from the top edge of said sheet, part of the way toward the bottom of the sheet, as the outermost side edges of said sheet are folded inwardly to engage each other; B. First means for separating and reattaching said side edges, said first means consisting of a cohesive-adhesive of low peel adhesive adherence and high shear adhesive adherence applied along the confronting surfaces of said side edges; and penetrating into the disposable material; and c. second means for separating and reattaching portions of said top edge intermediate said arm openings and said neck opening, and intermediate said arm openings and said side edges, after said side edges are folded inwardly to engage each other, said second means consisting of a cohesive-adhesive of low peel adhesive adherence and high shear adhesive adherence applied along the confronting surfaces of said top portions edge; and penetrating into the disposable material.

2. A disposable hospital patient''s gown, comprising: A. a single sheet of disposable material forming said gown and having side edges, a bottom edge, and a top edge, said top edge of gown containing:

2. two arm openings, each respectively, intermediate said side edges and said neck opening, and each extending downwardly from the top edge of said sheet, part of the way toward the bottom of the sheet, as the outermost side edges of said sheet are folded inwardly to engage each other; B. First means for separating and reattaching said side edges, said first means consisting of a cohesive-adhesive of low peel adhesive adherence and high shear adhesive adherence applied along the confronting surface areas of said side edges, said areas having spaces therein free of said cohesive-adhesive; and C. second means for separating and reattaching portions of said top edge intermediate said arm openings and said neck opening, and intermediate said arm openings and said side edges, after said side edges are folded inwardly to engage each other, said second means consisting of a cohesive-adhesive of low peel adhesive adherence and high shear adhesive adherence applied along the confronting surface areas of said top edge, portions said areas having spaces therein free of said cohesive-adhesive.

3. A disposable hospital patient''s gown, comprising: a single sheet of disposable material forming said gown having side edges, a bottom edge, and a top edge, said top edge having a centrally located neck opening, said top edge extending horizontally from each side of said neck opening to a first point intermediate said neck opening and said side edge and extending downwardly therefrom approximately one-half the depth of said neck opening to a second point immediately below said first point to form shoulder flaps and extending horizontally from said second point to said side edges; two arm openings, each respectively, extending downwardly from said second point on said top edge toward the bottom of the sheet; cohesive-adhesive with a high shear adhesive adherence and low peel adhesive adherence that penetrates into the disposable material applied to areas of said top edge between said neck opening and said first point on one surface on said sheet and to the area between the end of each arm opening and said side edge on the other surface of said sheet and along the area of the confronting surfaces of said side edges when said side edges are overlapped, so that when the side edges are folded inwardly forming openable panels and said flaps are foLded downwardly upon said panels, openable sleeves are created that cover the shoulders and part of the upper arms of a wearer.

4. A disposable hospital patient''s gown, comprising: a single sheet of disposable material forming said gown having side edges, a bottom edge, and a top edge, said top edge having a centrally located neck opening, said top edge extending horizontally from each side of said neck opening to a first point intermediate said neck opening and said side edge and extending downwardly therefrom approximately one-half the depth of said neck opening to a second point immediately below said first point to form shoulder flaps and extending horizontally from said second point to said side edges; two arm openings, each respectively, extending downwardly from said second point on said top edge toward the bottom of the sheet; cohesive-adhesive with a high shear adhesive adherence and a low peel adhesive adherence applied to areas of said top edge between said neck opening and said first point on one surface of said sheet and to the area between the end of each arm opening and said side edge on the other surface of said sheet and along the area of the confronting surfaces of said side edges when said side edges are overlapped, so that when the side edges are folded inwardly forming openable panels and said flaps are folded downwardly upon said panels, openable sleeves are created that cover the shoulders and part of the upper arms of a wearer, said areas having spaces therein free of said cohesive-adhesive.